SINN FEIN is demanding that the former DUP MP, the Rev William McCrea, explain remarks he made last week about the effect republican election successes would have on the nationalist community.
Mr McCrea was quoted in Friday's Belfast Telegraph as saying: "As John Bruton himself said, a vote for Sinn Fein is a vote for murder [Mr Bruton actually said a vote for Sinn Fein is a vote for violence].
"Two out of three of the nationalist community in MidUlster voted for murder and they will live to regret it.
"Once the heel of Sinn Fein goes upon them, they will know it. It's not the power of the ballotbox, it's the bullet."
Sinn Fein's Mr Martin McGuinness, who unseated Mr McCrea as MP for MidUlster, accused the DUP politician of issuing threats against nationalists.
"His words are being interpreted by the people of MidUlster as an encouragement to the loyalist murder gangs to continue their terror campaign against a defenceless civilian population simply because they exercised their democratic right to vote for a party of their own choosing.
"William McCrea must explain to the electorate in Mid Ulster exactly what he is threatening."
The Sinn Fein MP referred to comments Mr McCrea made earlier on losing his seat in which he predicted that the voters of MidUlster would reap a bitter harvest. Mr McGuinness said shortly after his remarks loyalists abducted and killed Mr Sean Brown, a leading GAA figure in Bellaghy, Co Derry. Mr McCrea could not be contacted for comment yesterday.